Chaukhara (, ) is a town and Nagar panchayat in Domariaganj tehsil of Siddharthnagar district in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India.
Geography
Chaukhara is located at . It has an average elevation of 110 metres (360 feet). Chaukhara is situated in the swamp of northeastern Uttar Pradesh, only ten miles from the border of Nepal. It is 5 km from tehsil headquarters Domariaganj, 60 from district headquarters Siddharth Nagar, and 30 km from the border with Nepal. Chaukhara is situated in the plains between two rivers, Budhi Rapti to its north and Rapti to its south. Its climate is moderate, not very humid, with an average rainfall of about 50 inches. As the village is situated in the plains between two rivers, it recurrently suffers from the vagaries of floods. The total cultivated area is 711.6 acres, of which about one third is single-crop area.
Historical background
In 1955, there were 296 houses; the number in 1965 had increased to 321. The total population in 1955 was 1,372; in 1965 it had increased to 1,475. The social stratification system of the village is reflected in the location of major caste streets. There are six such streets, each named after the caste group predominantly inhabiting that area. All the streets slope downward to north, south, east, and west from a central plateau on which stand the big houses (havelis) of the Rajputs, the ex zamindars (landlords). Adjacent to the Rajput street in the southward direction is the street of Brahmans; adjoining its eastern flank is the street of Ahirs. To the north of the Rajput street is the street of Banias, which, in the northeast, is surrounded by the street of Lohars, Badhais, Kumhärs, etc. in the north by the street of Muslims, and to the far northwest by the street of the lower castes, such as the Dhobis and Chamärs. The contour of settlement and proximity with the Rajput street has traditionally been a mark of relative social status for the inhabitants.
The village was traditionally under the joint zamindari system of land settlement and was dominated by the Rajputs. The gazetteer of Basti and the village customs register (sharayat-wajibul-arza) provide some historical facts about the period of the establishment of power by the Rajput zamindārs. The Rajputs who belong to the Kalhans subcaste settled in this village during the year 1554 AD, after pushing out the local tribes, the Tharus and Domkatars. They had originally migrated from Baglana Gujarat. Until the establishment of British rule, this Rajput clan ruled over about surrounding twenty-five villages. Now the clan is subdivided and scattered into six villages of the region.
The social hierarchy and status of various castes can also be observed through the style and structure of their houses. The houses of Rajputs are bigger and more spacious than those of other castes; some stand two stories high and most of them have a sitting hall outside the main building. The houses of Banias and intermediate castes are smaller, stand on lower plinths, and generally have mud walls. The lower of the untouchable castes have very small houses with two or three rooms without plinths and are congested. Formerly, their houses used to be covered with straw but today most of them are tiled.
The transport facilities, which a decade back were very poor, have improved considerably. Chaukhara is now connected by regular bus service to the nearby towns.
It has one primary school for boys, which was started in 1885; another primary school for girls was established in 1941. A post office was opened in 1945, which has now grown in size. A zamindär financed the establishment of a junior high school in 1963, which has been recognized by the State Department of Education.
Two crops, kharif (summer crops) and rabi (winter crops), are grown in the village. The kharif crops are sown in the months of June July and harvested in the months of September October. The main kharif crops are paddy, maize, pulses, and a coarse grain called kodon. The main rabi crops are wheat, barley, peas, mustard, and sugar cane. Most of the sugar cane is crushed in the village itself and converted into coarse sugar for consumption. Only a few big farmers cultivate sugar cane as a cash crop.
Among fruits, mangoes grow in large quantities. There are six mango orchards covering about fifteen acres of land, all owned by Rajputs. Four other mango orchards are not of an improved variety.Guavas and bananas also grow in small quantities.